The Two Eleanors Of Henry Iii

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The Two Eleanors of Henry III

Author : Darren Baker
Publisher : Pen and Sword
ISBN 13 : 1526747529
Total Pages : 342 pages
Book Rating : 4.5/5 (267 download)

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Book Synopsis The Two Eleanors of Henry III by : Darren Baker

Download or read book The Two Eleanors of Henry III written by Darren Baker and published by Pen and Sword. This book was released on 2019-10-30 with total page 342 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This account of two strong medieval women and their relationship “thoroughly engrosses you in a story hundreds of years past”(Seattle Book Review). Born in 1223, Eleanor of Provence has come to England at the age of twelve to marry the king, Henry III. He’s sixteen years older, but was a boy when he ascended the throne. He’s a kind, sensitive sort whose only personal attachments to women so far have been to his three sisters. The youngest of those sisters is called Eleanor too. She was only nine when, for political reasons, her first marriage took place, but she’s already a chaste twenty-year-old widow when the new queen arrives in 1236. Soon, this Eleanor will marry the rising star of her brother’s court, a French parvenu named Simon de Montfort, thus wedding the fates of these four people together in an England about to undergo some of the most profound changes in its history. The Two Eleanors of Henry III is a tale that spans decades, with loyalty to family and principles at stake, in a land where foreigners are subject to intense scrutiny and jealousy. The relationship between these two sisters-in-law, close but ultimately doomed, reflects not just the turbulence and tragedy of their times, but also the brilliance and splendor.

Eleanor of Aquitaine

Author : Ralph V. Turner
Publisher : Yale University Press
ISBN 13 : 0300159897
Total Pages : 626 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (1 download)

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Book Synopsis Eleanor of Aquitaine by : Ralph V. Turner

Download or read book Eleanor of Aquitaine written by Ralph V. Turner and published by Yale University Press. This book was released on 2009-06-16 with total page 626 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Eleanor of Aquitaine’s extraordinary life seems more likely to be found in the pages of fiction. Proud daughter of a distinguished French dynasty, she married the king of France, Louis VII, then the king of England, Henry II, and gave birth to two sons who rose to take the English throne—Richard the Lionheart and John. Renowned for her beauty, hungry for power, headstrong, and unconventional, Eleanor traveled on crusades, acted as regent for Henry II and later for Richard, incited rebellion, endured a fifteen-year imprisonment, and as an elderly widow still wielded political power with energy and enthusiasm. This gripping biography is the definitive account of the most important queen of the Middle Ages. Ralph Turner, a leading historian of the twelfth century, strips away the myths that have accumulated around Eleanor—the “black legend” of her sexual appetite, for example—and challenges the accounts that relegate her to the shadows of the kings she married and bore. Turner focuses on a wealth of primary sources, including a collection of Eleanor’s own documents not previously accessible to scholars, and portrays a woman who sought control of her own destiny in the face of forceful resistance. A queen of unparalleled appeal, Eleanor of Aquitaine retains her power to fascinate even 800 years after her death.

Eleanor of Aquitaine

Author : William W. Kibler
Publisher : University of Texas Press
ISBN 13 : 1477300244
Total Pages : 296 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (773 download)

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Book Synopsis Eleanor of Aquitaine by : William W. Kibler

Download or read book Eleanor of Aquitaine written by William W. Kibler and published by University of Texas Press. This book was released on 2014-07-03 with total page 296 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Eleanor of Aquitaine was the wife of two kings, Louis VII of France and Henry II Plantagenet of England, and the mother of two others, Richard the Lionhearted and John Lackland. In her eventful, often stormy life, she not only influenced the course of events in the twelfth century but also encouraged remarkable advances in the literary and fine arts. In this book, experts in five disciplines—history, art history, music, French and English literature—evaluate the influence of Eleanor and her court on history and the arts. Elizabeth A. R. Brown views Eleanor as having played a significant role as parent and politician, but not as patron. Rebecca A. Baltzer takes a new look at the music of the period that was written by and for Eleanor, her court, and her family. Moshé Lazar reexamines her relationship to the courtly-love literature of the period. Eleanor S. Greenhill and Larry M. Ayres reassess her influence in the realm of art history. Rossell Hope Robbins traces the lines extending from the French courtly literature of Eleanor's period down into fourteenth-century Chaucerian England. The essays reflect divergent but generally complementary assessments of this remarkable woman's influence on her own era and on future times as well. This volume is the result of a symposium held at the University of Texas in 1973.

Plantagenet Princes

Author : Douglas Boyd
Publisher : Pen and Sword History
ISBN 13 : 1526743078
Total Pages : 297 pages
Book Rating : 4.5/5 (267 download)

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Book Synopsis Plantagenet Princes by : Douglas Boyd

Download or read book Plantagenet Princes written by Douglas Boyd and published by Pen and Sword History. This book was released on 2021-07-07 with total page 297 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: When Count Henry of Anjou and his formidable wife Eleanor of Aquitaine became king and queen of England, they amassed an empire stretching 1,000 miles from the Pyrenees to the Scottish border, including half of France. Henry’s grandmother Empress Mathilda of Germany had taught him that ruling is like falconry: show the hawk the reward, but take it away at the last moment, to keep the bird eager to please. To sons and vassals alike, Henry promised everything but gave nothing, keeping the three adult princes hating him and the other siblings all their lives. Plantagenet Princes traces the lives and infamous webs of mistrust and intrigue among them. What sons they were! Henry (b. 1155), ‘the Young king’ was entitled to succeed his father, yet was a rich playboy who died crippled by debt before his thirtieth birthday, after living the life of a robber baron. Richard (b. 1157), ‘the Lionheart’ was lord of his mother’s duchy of Aquitaine and became, thanks to her, England’s most popular king despite bankrupting the Empire twice in his disastrous 10-year reign. Geoffrey (b. 1158), count of Brittany, was the cleverest, but was trampled to death by horses aged 32 in a pointless mêlée at Paris, leaving his wife Constance to act as regent for their son Arthur in a long power struggle between Philip Augustus, king of France, and the Plantagenets. The runt of the litter, John (b. 1166) was nicknamed Lackland, since no inheritance was initially promised him. He proved the longest-lived by far, dying at the age of fifty after signing Magna Carta, losing the key duchy of Normandy and most of the other continental possessions – also murdering his nephew Arthur, imprisoning Arthur’s sister for life and waging war against his barons, continued by Henry III. The Plantagenet line continued with Richard of Cornwall, Edward I conquering Wales, gay Edward II, Edward III, Edward the Black Prince and Richard II, who died in prison while his usurper sat on the throne.

Plantagenet Princesses

Author : DOUGLAS. BOYD
Publisher : Pen & Sword History
ISBN 13 : 9781526767080
Total Pages : 0 pages
Book Rating : 4.7/5 (67 download)

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Book Synopsis Plantagenet Princesses by : DOUGLAS. BOYD

Download or read book Plantagenet Princesses written by DOUGLAS. BOYD and published by Pen & Sword History. This book was released on 2020-10 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Joan, Lady of Wales

Author : Danna R Messer
Publisher : Pen and Sword History
ISBN 13 : 1526729326
Total Pages : 256 pages
Book Rating : 4.5/5 (267 download)

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Book Synopsis Joan, Lady of Wales by : Danna R Messer

Download or read book Joan, Lady of Wales written by Danna R Messer and published by Pen and Sword History. This book was released on 2020-09-30 with total page 256 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The history of women in medieval Wales before the English conquest of 1282 is one largely shrouded in mystery. For the Age of Princes, an era defined by ever-increased threats of foreign hegemony, internal dynastic strife and constant warfare, the comings and goings of women are little noted in sources. This misfortune touches even the most well-known royal woman of the time, Joan of England (d. 1237), the wife of Llywelyn the Great of Gwynedd, illegitimate daughter of King John and half-sister to Henry III. With evidence of her hand in thwarting a full scale English invasion of Wales to a notorious scandal that ended with the public execution of her supposed lover by her husband and her own imprisonment, Joans is a known, but little-told or understood story defined by family turmoil, divided loyalties and political intrigue. From the time her hand was promised in marriage as the result of the first Welsh-English alliance in 1201 to the end of her life, Joans place in the political wranglings between England and the Welsh kingdom of Gwynedd was a fundamental one. As the first woman to be designated Lady of Wales, her role as one a political diplomat in early thirteenth-century Anglo-Welsh relations was instrumental. This first-ever account of Siwan, as she was known to the Welsh, interweaves the details of her life and relationships with a gendered re-assessment of Anglo-Welsh politics by highlighting her involvement in affairs, discussing events in which she may well have been involved but have gone unrecorded and her overall deployment of royal female agency.

The Courts of Love

Author : Jean Plaidy
Publisher : Crown
ISBN 13 : 0307347079
Total Pages : 472 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (73 download)

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Book Synopsis The Courts of Love by : Jean Plaidy

Download or read book The Courts of Love written by Jean Plaidy and published by Crown. This book was released on 2006-05-23 with total page 472 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: When I look back over my long and tempestuous life, I can see that much of what happened to me—my triumphs and most of my misfortunes—was due to my passionate relationships with men. I was a woman who considered herself their equal—and in many ways their superior—but it seemed that I depended on them, while seeking to be the dominant partner—an attitude which could hardly be expected to bring about a harmonious existence. Eleanor of Aquitaine was revered for her superior intellect, extraordinary courage, and fierce loyalty. She was equally famous for her turbulent relationships, which included marriages to the kings of both France and England. As a child, Eleanor reveled in her beloved grandfather’s Courts of Love, where troubadours sang of romantic devotion and passion filled the air. In 1137, at the age of fifteen, Eleanor became Duchess of Aquitaine, the richest province in Europe. A union with Louis VII allowed her to ascend the French throne, yet he was a tepid and possessive man and no match for a young woman raised in the Courts of Love. When Eleanor met the magnetic Henry II, the first Plantagenet King of England, their stormy pairing set great change in motion—and produced many sons and daughters, two of whom would one day reign in their own right. In this majestic and sweeping story, set against a backdrop of medieval politics, intrigue, and strife, Jean Plaidy weaves a tapestry of love, passion, betrayal, and heartbreak—and reveals the life of a most remarkable woman whose iron will and political savvy enabled her to hold her own against the most powerful men of her time.

Rebellion Against Henry III

Author : David Pilling
Publisher : Pen and Sword History
ISBN 13 : 1526763230
Total Pages : 224 pages
Book Rating : 4.5/5 (267 download)

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Book Synopsis Rebellion Against Henry III by : David Pilling

Download or read book Rebellion Against Henry III written by David Pilling and published by Pen and Sword History. This book was released on 2020-05-30 with total page 224 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The 'Montfortian' civil wars in England lasted from 1259-67, though the death of Simon de Montfort and so many of his followers at the battle of Evesham in 1265 ought to have ended the conflict. In the aftermath of the battle, Henry III's decision to disinherit all the surviving Montfortians served to prolong the war for another two years. Hundreds of landless men took up arms again to defend their land and property: the redistribution of estates in the wake of Evesham occurred on a massive scale, as lands were either granted away by the king or simply taken by his supporters. The Disinherited, as they were known, defied the might of the Crown longer than anyone could have reasonably expected. They were scattered, outnumbered and out-resourced, with no real unifying figure after the death of Earl Simon, and suffered a number of heavy defeats. Despite all their problems and setbacks, they succeeded in forcing the king into a compromise. The Dictum of Kenilworth, published in 1266, acknowledged that Henry could not hope to defeat the Disinherited via military force alone. The purely military aspects of the revolt, including effective use of guerilla-type warfare and major actions such as the battle of Chesterfield, the siege of Kenilworth and the capture of London, will all be featured. Charismatic rebel leaders such as Robert de Ferrers, the 'wild and flighty' Earl of Derby, Sir John de Eyvill, 'the bold D'Eyvill' and others such as Sir Adam de Gurdon, David of Uffington and Baldwin Wake all receive a proper appraisal.

The Sunne In Splendour

Author : Sharon Kay Penman
Publisher : St. Martin's Griffin
ISBN 13 : 1429930098
Total Pages : 945 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (299 download)

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Book Synopsis The Sunne In Splendour by : Sharon Kay Penman

Download or read book The Sunne In Splendour written by Sharon Kay Penman and published by St. Martin's Griffin. This book was released on 2008-01-22 with total page 945 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The classic, magnificent bestselling novel about Richard III, now in a special thirtieth anniversary edition with a new preface by the author In this triumphant combination of scholarship and storytelling, Sharon Kay Penman redeems Richard III—vilified as the bitter, twisted, scheming hunchback who murdered his nephews, the princes in the Tower—from his maligned place in history. Born into the treacherous courts of fifteenth-century England, in the midst of what history has called The War of the Roses, Richard was raised in the shadow of his charismatic brother, King Edward IV. Loyal to his friends and passionately in love with the one woman who was denied him, Richard emerges as a gifted man far more sinned against than sinning. With revisions throughout and a new author's preface discussing the astonishing discovery of Richard's remains five centuries after his death, Sharon Kay Penman's brilliant classic is more powerful and glorious than ever.

With All for All

Author : Darren Baker
Publisher : Amberley Publishing Limited
ISBN 13 : 1445645785
Total Pages : 442 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (456 download)

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Book Synopsis With All for All by : Darren Baker

Download or read book With All for All written by Darren Baker and published by Amberley Publishing Limited. This book was released on 2015-02-15 with total page 442 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Simon de Montfort's combination of charisma, determination, and fearlessness made him one of the greatest men of his age. This new biography marks 750 years since Montfort established the earliest forerunner of our modern parliament.

Eleanor of Castile

Author : Sara Cockerill
Publisher : Amberley Publishing Limited
ISBN 13 : 1445636050
Total Pages : 448 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (456 download)

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Book Synopsis Eleanor of Castile by : Sara Cockerill

Download or read book Eleanor of Castile written by Sara Cockerill and published by Amberley Publishing Limited. This book was released on 2014-09-15 with total page 448 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The untold story of the remarkable woman behind England's greatest medieval king, Edward I

Stephen and Matilda's Civil War

Author : Matthew Lewis
Publisher : Pen and Sword
ISBN 13 : 1526718359
Total Pages : 361 pages
Book Rating : 4.5/5 (267 download)

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Book Synopsis Stephen and Matilda's Civil War by : Matthew Lewis

Download or read book Stephen and Matilda's Civil War written by Matthew Lewis and published by Pen and Sword. This book was released on 2020-01-19 with total page 361 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The story of the twelfth-century rivalry for the throne between the daughter and the nephew of Henry I—a battle that tore England apart for over a decade. The Anarchy was the first civil war in post-Conquest England, enduring throughout the reign of King Stephen between 1135 and 1154. It ultimately brought about the end of the Norman dynasty and the birth of the mighty Plantagenet kings. When Henry I died having lost his only legitimate son in a shipwreck, his barons had sworn to recognize his daughter Matilda, widow of the Holy Roman Emperor, as his heir, and remarried her to Geoffrey, Count of Anjou. But when she was slow to move to England upon her father’s death, Henry’s favorite nephew, Stephen of Blois, rushed to have himself crowned, much as Henry himself had done on the death of his brother William Rufus. Supported by his brother Henry, Bishop of Winchester, Stephen made a promising start, but Matilda would not give up her birthright and tried to hold the English barons to their oaths. The result was more than a decade of civil war that saw England split apart. Empress Matilda is often remembered as aloof and high-handed, Stephen as ineffective and indecisive. By following both sides of the dispute and seeking to understand their actions and motivations, Matthew Lewis aims to reach a more rounded understanding of this crucial period of English history—and ask to what extent there really was anarchy.

Defenders of the Norman Crown

Author : Sharon Bennett Connolly
Publisher : Pen and Sword History
ISBN 13 : 1526745305
Total Pages : 376 pages
Book Rating : 4.5/5 (267 download)

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Book Synopsis Defenders of the Norman Crown by : Sharon Bennett Connolly

Download or read book Defenders of the Norman Crown written by Sharon Bennett Connolly and published by Pen and Sword History. This book was released on 2021-07-07 with total page 376 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A history of one of medieval England’s most powerful families, from its origins in Normandy to its demise during the reign of Edward III. In the reign of Edward I, when asked Quo Warranto—by what warrant he held his lands—John de Warenne, the 6th earl of Surrey, is said to have drawn a rusty sword, claiming “My ancestors came with William the Bastard, and conquered their lands with the sword, and I will defend them with the sword against anyone wishing to seize them.” John’s ancestor, William de Warenne, 1st Earl of Surrey, fought for William the Conqueror at the Battle of Hastings in 1066. He was rewarded with enough land to make him one of the richest men of all time. In his search for a royal bride, the 2nd earl kidnapped the wife of a fellow baron. The 3rd earl died on crusade, fighting for his royal cousin, Louis VII of France . . . For three centuries, the Warennes were at the heart of English politics at the highest level, until one unhappy marriage brought an end to the dynasty. The family moved in the highest circles, married into royalty and were not immune to scandal. Defenders of the Norman Crown tells the fascinating story of the Warenne dynasty, of the successes and failures of one of the most powerful families in England, from its origins in Normandy, through the Conquest, Magna Carta, the wars and marriages that led to its ultimate demise in the reign of Edward III. Praise for Defenders of the Norman Crown “In this book Sharon not only provides the reader with a deep insight into the whole Warenne dynasty, but also opens a window into a turbulent period of English history.” —Aspects of History “A riveting insight into the rise and fall of the most influential family you’d otherwise never have heard of. . . . 5/5.” —HistoriaMag “Sharon Bennett Connolly’s detailed, meticulous research brings together a wealth of sources to give the reader a fascinating view of one of the powerful families on which the Crown depended for centuries. Politics and power, Marriages and mistresses, Lordship and land, Defenders of the Norman Crown has it all. [Connolly] has written a very fine book indeed—I loved it.” —Elizabeth Chadwick, bestselling author of historical fiction “A vivid portrayal of a powerful aristocratic family. . . . A highly readable and well-illustrated survey.” —Michael Jones, author of The Black Prince

Crusaders and Revolutionaries of the Thirteenth Century

Author : Darren Baker
Publisher : Pen and Sword Military
ISBN 13 : 152674550X
Total Pages : 315 pages
Book Rating : 4.5/5 (267 download)

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Book Synopsis Crusaders and Revolutionaries of the Thirteenth Century by : Darren Baker

Download or read book Crusaders and Revolutionaries of the Thirteenth Century written by Darren Baker and published by Pen and Sword Military. This book was released on 2020-12-28 with total page 315 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This family biography charts the rise and fall of the medieval dynasty credited with establishing England’s parliamentary system. Originally from France, the de Montfort family grew to prominence during the 13th century as heroes of the Crusades. Winning lordships around the Mediterranean, they married into the English aristocracy and ascended to an Earlship. Historian Darren Baker explores the family history, dispelling misconceptions and shedding light on its most significant members. Simon de Montfort, a renowned commander of the Albigensian Crusade against the Cathars in France, ascended to the peerage as the 5th Earl of Leicester. But it is his son and namesake who is perhaps the best known. Simon de Montfort, 6th Earl of Leicester, led the Second Baron’s War against King Henry III and established the first parliamentary state in Europe. After Simon’s death at Evesham in 1265, the family falls into decline. Their fate is sealed when their role in a vengeful political murder scandalizes Europe. The lineage ends when Eleanor de Montfort, the last Princess of Wales, dies in childbirth and her daughter is raised as a nun.

Ladies of Magna Carta

Author : Sharon Bennett Connolly
Publisher : Pen and Sword History
ISBN 13 : 1526745267
Total Pages : 330 pages
Book Rating : 4.5/5 (267 download)

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Book Synopsis Ladies of Magna Carta by : Sharon Bennett Connolly

Download or read book Ladies of Magna Carta written by Sharon Bennett Connolly and published by Pen and Sword History. This book was released on 2020-05-30 with total page 330 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An innovative take on Magna Carta history that examines the impact and influence of women. 39. No man shall be taken, imprisoned, outlawed, banished or in any way destroyed, nor will we proceed against or prosecute him, except by the lawful judgment of his peers or by the law of the land. This clause in Magna Carta was in response to the appalling imprisonment and starvation of Matilda de Braose, the wife of one of King John’s barons. Matilda was not the only woman who influenced, or was influenced by, the 1215 Charter of Liberties, now known as Magna Carta. Women from many of the great families of England were affected by the far-reaching legacy of Magna Carta, from their experiences in the civil war and as hostages, to calling on its use to protect their property and rights as widows. Ladies of Magna Carta looks into the relationships—through marriage and blood—of the various noble families and how they were affected by the Barons’ Wars, Magna Carta, and its aftermath—the bonds that were formed and those that were broken. Including the royal families of England and Scotland, the Marshals, the Warennes, the Braoses, and more, Ladies of Magna Carta focuses on the roles played by the women of the great families whose influences and experiences have reached far beyond the thirteenth century.

Henry III

Author : David Carpenter
Publisher : Yale University Press
ISBN 13 : 0300248059
Total Pages : 740 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (2 download)

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Book Synopsis Henry III by : David Carpenter

Download or read book Henry III written by David Carpenter and published by Yale University Press. This book was released on 2023-05-23 with total page 740 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The second volume in the definitive history of Henry III's rule, covering the revolutionary events between 1258 and the king's death in 1272 After coming to the throne aged just nine, Henry III spent much of his reign peaceably. Conciliatory and deeply religious, he created a magnificent court, rebuilt Westminster Abbey, and invested in soft power. Then, in 1258, the king faced a great revolution. Led by Simon de Montfort, the uprising stripped him of his authority and brought decades of personal rule to a catastrophic end. In the brutal civil war that followed, the political community was torn apart in a way unseen again until Cromwell. Renowned historian David Carpenter brings to life the dramatic events in the last phase of Henry III's momentous reign. Carpenter provides a fresh account of the king's strenuous efforts to recover power and sheds new light on the characters of the rebel de Montfort, Queen Eleanor, and Lord Edward--the future Edward I. A groundbreaking biography, Henry III illuminates as never before the political twists and turns of the day, showing how politics and religion were intimately connected.

Henry III

Author : Darren Baker
Publisher : The History Press
ISBN 13 : 0750985224
Total Pages : 626 pages
Book Rating : 4.7/5 (59 download)

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Book Synopsis Henry III by : Darren Baker

Download or read book Henry III written by Darren Baker and published by The History Press. This book was released on 2017-10-26 with total page 626 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 'Henry III is generally classed among the weakest and most incompetent of England's medieval kings. Darren Baker tells a different story.'- Michael Clanchy, author of England and Its Rulers, 1066–1307 'A personal and detailed narrative...bring[s] alive the glamour and personalities of thirteenth-century England.'- Huw Ridgeway, author of 'Henry III', Oxford Dictionary of National Biography 'Enterprising, original and engaging.' - David Carpenter, author of The Reign of King Henry III Henry III (1207–72) reigned for 56 years, the longest-serving English monarch until the modern era. Although knighted by William Marshal, he was no warrior king like his uncle Richard the Lionheart. He preferred to feed the poor to making war and would rather spend time with his wife and children than dally with mistresses and lord over roundtables. He sought to replace the dull projection of power imported by his Norman predecessors with a more humane and open-hearted monarchy. But his ambition led him to embark on bold foreign policy initiatives to win back the lands and prestige lost by his father King John. This set him at odds with his increasingly insular barons and clergy, now emboldened by the protections of Magna Carta. In one of the great political duels of history, Henry struggled to retain the power and authority of the crown against radical reformers like Simon de Montfort. He emerged victorious, but at a cost both to the kingdom and his reputation among historians. Yet his long rule also saw extraordinary advancements in politics and the arts, from the rise of the parliamentary state and universities to the great cathedrals of the land, including Henry's own enduring achievement, Westminster Abbey.